Sons of Time
by IDreamofAvalon
Summary: Ianto Jones is no ordinary man, in fact he is extraordinary. The men who love him believe they know just how special he is, but what they don't know will change not only their lives, but all of space and time.
1. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer - **I do not own Torchwood, Doctor Who, or Marvel's The Avengers, and make no profit from this story.

A/N - Excerpts of dialogue in this chapter were taken from the film, _Captain America: The First Avenger_.

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**Chapter 1 - Heroes and Heartbreak**

**19 August 1945 **

**Safe House, Wales, U.K.**

Phil felt like he was being torn apart as he remembered that day; it was exactly four months ago to the day. Four months since he had lost the man he loved, his mate. It seemed cruel really; they had such a short amount of time together. It wasn't right, they were supposed to have more, it should have been forever.

He remembered the last time he heard his voice:

"_Give me your coordinates. I'll find you a safe landing site."_

"_There's not gonna be a safe landing. But I can try and force it down."_

"_I'll, I'll get Howard on the line. He'll know what to do."_

"_There's not enough time. This thing's moving too fast and it's heading for New York. I got to put her in the water."_

"_Please, don't do this. We have time. We can work it out."_

"_Right now, I'm in the middle of nowhere. If I wait any longer, a lot of people are gonna die. Phil... this is my choice. Phil..."_

"_I'm here."_

"_I'm gonna need a rain check on that date."_

"_All right." Right then, Phil didn't care who was listening._

"_A week, next Saturday, we'll go to the seaside, have a picnic."_

"_You got it."_

"_One o'clock on the dot. Don't you dare be late. Understood? You know, I still can't cook though."_

"_I'll show you how sometime. Just be there."_

"_I'll bring a radio, maybe we could try for that dance, something slow. I'd hate to step on your..."_

_[radio static]_

"_Steve? Steve? Steve?"_

He heard that static every time he tried to fall asleep, he just couldn't seem to escape it. The past four months had been the hardest of his life, when they should have been the happiest. Peggy, and even Howard, tried to help as much as they could, but it wasn't the same.

Steve should have been there! He should have been with him as his stomach swelled from the lives growing inside of him. He should have been there to feel the babies kick. And most of all, he should have been with him today. He should have been there to see his children come into the world. The children he never knew existed.

Phil looked down at the small babes nestled in his arms. They were a month early, but the doctors said that they are perfectly healthy, if a little underweight.

He sighed, rocking his children as they fed from their bottles. Peggy had gone home for the night. She had stayed with him throughout the whole ordeal, and had offered to stay the night. Phil had finally convinced her to go home about an hour ago, he didn't know what he would have done without her these past few months, but he wanted time alone with his children.

Phil had been terrified that he would lose them, his last tangible link to Steve. He was determined to keep on searching for Steve; it didn't matter to him that everyone said that it was of no use, Phil refused to give up until he had absolute proof that Steve would not be coming home.

So he decided that they would stay here, in Wales, where MI-6 and the US Army's Signal Intelligence Service had secreted him away during his pregnancy. The SIS didn't know about his pregnancy, only that he was continuing to work as their liaison with MI-6. There were people here who had volunteered to help him with the twins so that he could continue to work and continue to search for Steve.

"I promise you both," Phil whispered to his children who were now fast asleep "I will find your Daddy, no matter how long it takes. I'll bring him home to you, I swear it."

Phil heard a strange yet familiar grinding noise from the corner of the room before a large blue box appeared, one that he hadn't seen in more than thirty years. He stood and placed his children in their bassinet as the door of the box opened.

A tall, attractive man in a brown pinstriped suit emerged. He looked around the room and quickly focused in on the two children who lay sleeping contentedly. He turned to Phil with a tentative smile, asking permission to approach them.

Phil nodded and sat back down tiredly. He watched on as the man gazed down at the two children with a look of complete adoration upon his face.

"What do you call them?" The man asked quietly without looking away from the crib.

"Ianto Steven and Rhiannon Rose Coulson-Rogers." He said with a hint of anger.

The other man cringed slightly, but smiled again.

"I think they would have liked those names. Rose especially, she'd be so excited."

Phil nodded sadly.

The man continued to stare at the children for a while before he turned and sat in the chair next to Phil's bed. This time he turned his gaze toward Phil, frowning as he noted the clear signs of exhaustion upon his face.

"You need to rest, go on and get some sleep. I'll take care of the children when they wake."

Phil didn't want to listen to him, wanting to hold on to the feelings of anger and abandonment, but he had never felt more exhausted in his life.

He lay back gingerly into the pillows and gave up the fight to keep his eyes open any longer.

"That's right," the other man whispered before leaning over to press a kiss to Phil's brow.

He gently began to caress Phil's hair.

"Go to sleep Phillip, everything will be alright. I'm here now son."

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A/N2 - So . . . what did you think? Are you interested in this story continuing? Please R&R to let me know.


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2 - Failures and Frustrations**

**Safe House, Wales, U.K.**

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A week later Phil was finally starting to feel like his old self again. To his immense surprise, his father was still there, up to his elbows in nappies and bottles and seemingly loving every minute of it.

They finally started to talk after the first couple of days. Phil's desire to lash out at his father was tempered by the presence of his children. He hadn't seen his father since 1912, when he and his mother had come to visit him in Boston.

His adoptive parents, the Coulsons, had gone to Europe to celebrate their 30th wedding anniversary and were returning home aboard the RMS Titanic. He had just received word that they were not among the 700 survivors.

He had hated himself for a while after that, not believing that he could have forgotten that such a major event was set to occur. His parents had stayed with him, trying to help him deal with the loss of the couple who had raised him for the past twenty years.

Phil was 40, still very young by Time Lord standards though he looked about 12 to human eyes, when he and his parents stopped in Boston, Massachusetts in 1892. Though he had traveled the galaxies with his parents, he really wanted to stay on Earth for a while, to try to live a "normal" human life like his mother had before meeting his father. He had left the TARDIS while his parents were out causing mayhem, and he had left a note explaining why he was leaving.

His parents of course found him, but he was adamant that he would be staying. Though he knew it broke her heart to do so, it was ultimately his mother who convinced his father to let him be if they were able to find a good family for him to life with. The Coulson's had come across them not long after and had taken him in, eventually adopting him as they were unable to have any children of their own.

His mother, Rose Marion Tyler, had been greatly changed following her absorption of the Time Vortex upon Gamestation 5. She became the Bad Wolf, and a part of Bad Wolf remained in her even after his father saved her. Rose was now essentially immortal, something that seemed to torture and thrill his father in equal parts. He didn't understand it, but he always thought that his father looked guilty whenever the events that took place on the Gamestation were mentioned. His mother had realized that she was pregnant just after his parents had met Queen Victoria and fought off a werewolf in Scotland, and they doted on him.

They had wanted him to return to the TARDIS with them, feeling that twenty Earth years was long enough to rebel. Phil had refused however; he had just finished his third degree at university, and wanted to stay.

Having failed to remember such a vital event in the time stream as the sinking of the Titanic, Phil felt that remaining on Earth would be his penance for failing to save the Coulsons. He knew that the next 40 years would change the course of human history, and he believed he owed it to the Coulsons to try to do some good.

So after trying and failing to convince him to come home, Phil's parents had returned to the TARDIS, promising to visit again within the year. One year became two, two became ten, and then here they were, thirty years later and his father finally showed up, without his mother.

His beautiful mother was trapped, sealed off in an alternate universe because of an invasion of Daleks and Cybermen that would occur more than seventy years in the future. When his father told him that, he had wanted to leave immediately and rescue her, with the two of them they would be able to bring her back without damaging the fabric of time; but his father said that it wasn't time yet.

Phil didn't think that he would ever understand his father. If he knew where Steve was, he would be there to save him regardless of timelines and temporal fluxes, or whatever reason his father was giving at the moment for the delay. He could see when she was meant to be rescued and thought that they should simply go forward to that time, but no, his father had given him that inscrutable look of his and said that it wasn't time yet.

Phil knew what that meant; it wasn't time for him yet. Apparently events needed to happen in Phil's life before they could rescue his mother. As much as he had grown to love his life on Earth, it had brought him Steve and their children after all, some days he hated the slow path.

He looked up from changing Rhi's nappy to see his father explaining to Ianto how to pilot the TARDIS. Phil rolled his eyes, he wasn't even a week old yet and his father was already lecturing his son.

Phil loved his father, fiercely, the importance of family had been drilled into him from the cradle; there were many times though, that he didn't like his father. It had always bothered him that his father could be the most loving and affectionate being in existence one moment, and then the most callous and insensitive one the next.

It was nice to have the TARDIS here though, no matter how long he was away from her, she was still home. She had been ecstatic when they first brought the children in to meet her. Now they left her doors open every night so that she could sing the children to sleep in their cot.

Peggy continued to be a constant presence, characteristically taking the appearance of a police box in Phil's bedroom in stride. She insisted that it was her responsibility to make sure that her best friends' children were taken care of; Phil had the feeling that she doubted the ability of a man to properly care for infants on his own. For a woman so ahead of her time in many ways, she still had some very backwards ideas.

He and his father had steadfastly avoided the topic of Steve's disappearance, which told Phil that his father knew what had happened and for some reason would not tell him. Damn timelines!

His children helped to fill the void in his heart however. They were absolutely perfect in every way, he thought so any way.

Ianto, the younger of the twins, had Phil's light brown hair, though where the curls came from he had no idea. Rhiannon favored Steve more, with dark blond hair and an exact miniature copy of his nose. It was still too early to tell, but it looked as though both children had inherited Steve's piercing blue eyes. Phil was absolutely smitten with them.

The Doctor was on a roll, thoroughly enjoying what seemed to be a rapt audience as he explained all about the time vortex, though Phil suspected that Ianto was more entranced by the lights of the TARDIS than his grandfather's lesson. He couldn't help but smile at the pair, remembering fond memories from his own childhood aboard the TARDIS.

Rhi was just as entranced by the TARDIS, but was less attentive and definitely the more vocal of the two. Her unfocused little eyes constantly moved about, trying to take everything in at once. Definitely her Daddy's daughter. Ianto on the other hand, was very focused for one so young. He was calm, only crying when his father failed to notice his hunger or a mess soon enough.

The Doctor had whole conversations with them both, he spoke Baby after all. Phil was beginning to wish that he had listened to his father all those years ago and learned it for himself; it would have been dead useful.

The Doctor extracted Rhiannon from her father's arms and returned with both children to the TARDIS' console.

"No Ianto, that one adjusts the climate controls. Yes, Ianto, that's what your Papa named you. Well I quite like it myself."

"Does he not like his name?" Phil asked, thoroughly amused by what seemed like a one sided conversation interspersed with barely discernible coos.

"Oh he likes it well enough. He thinks it's much better than the English, John. Hey!" The Doctor frowned down at the baby in his arms.

"Phil, I think you've got a proud Welshman in the making here. But you're not really Welsh! Rhiannon Rose, language! Just a week old and already cursing like a sailor! Where do you pick these things up? I swear!"

Phil couldn't help it, he burst out in laughter. It felt so good to laugh again, he hadn't laughed in so long. He had to sit down, he was laughing so hard.

His father looked at him fondly. It broke both his hearts to see the pain in his son's eyes, especially knowing that it would be so long before it finally left. He wanted him to return to the TARDIS with him, to bring his grandchildren to see the wonders of the universes. The Doctor knew however that Phil would not return, not now, not while his lover was still missing.

The Doctor could see the long, lonely years that stretched out before his son, and wished, yet again that he could change it.

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_Note_: This is a little more backstory. The first five or six chapters will be background information for the characters leading up to Ianto's time at Torchwood London. Thank you all for reading, I hope you enjoyed it. **_Please review_** and give me your feedback!


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter 3 – Holidays and Partings**

**5 Years Later - 25 December 1950**

**Newport, Wales, U.K.**

Phil smiled into his pillow as he heard his bedroom door pushed open and two childish voices "quietly" arguing whether or not they should wake him.

"It's too early Rhi! Papa didn't come home before bedtime last night, he's sleepy." Ianto whispered to his sister.

"But it's Christmas Yanny! Papa said that we can't open presents if he's not awake, so he needs to wake up!"

"But Rhi-"

"Happy Christmas Papa!" Rhiannon yelled, ignoring the protests of her brother and struggling to clamber up onto the bed.

Phil rolled over to face her and pulled her up onto the bed where she bounced and crawled her way over to his left side. He turned back and opened his arms to Ianto who stood quietly next to the bed, waiting to be invited to join them.

He pulled Ianto up and settled onto his back pulling his children into his sides.

"Merry Christmas my little imps, what has you up at . . ." Phil leaned over to check the clock on his bedside. "Four thirty in the morning?"

Ianto shook his head and yawned, snuggling further into his father's embrace. Rhiannon on the other hand turned over to lie on her father's chest, attempting to appear wide-eyed and innocent.

"But Papa, it's Christmas!" She said with a whine.

"Indeed it is, but why would that constitute you being up at such an hour when I normally have to drag you from bed?" Phil leveled a blank stare at the little girl.

Both of his children were extremely advanced for their ages, especially by human standards; even by Time Lord standards they were quite extraordinary. But regardless of their mental acuity, they were still very young, and Rhiannon in particular was very easy to wind up.

"Papa! You promised!" Rhiannon cried in exasperation.

"I did? What am I supposed to have promised?" Phil asked, struggling to keep a straight face as he shared a conspiratorial wink with Ianto.

Ianto grinned at his Papa and buried his face in his neck so that his sister wouldn't see.

"Papa please, you said we could open presents when you woke up, remember?" Rhiannon was starting to get frustrated, and her bottom lip began to poke out.

"Oh, presents! I seem to have forgotten all about that. But . . ."

Just then, the familiar sound of the TARDIS was heard from the living room.

"I think that your Tad-cu may have remembered."

Phil grinned at them both as they began to bounce up and down on the bed, shrieking in excitement. He grunted as Rhiannon landed a knee in his stomach as she scrambled over him to get off the bed.

Both children took off down the hall as fast as their childish legs would carry them, crying out, "Tad-cu, Tad-cu you came!"

"Ho, ho, oh - Rhi dear one that smarts! Hello my Yan! Happy Christmas bachen!"

Phil got up from his twin bed and pulled on his dressing gown. He smiled while listening to the sounds of his children with their grandfather.

"Oh Steve, where are you? You're missing it."

He shook off his melancholy thoughts and made his way to the living room to enjoy the day with his family.

* * *

**10 Years Later - 19 August 1960**

**Newport, Wales, U.K.**

Phil blinked back the tears and forced a smile onto his face. He knew that this was the right decision, this was best for the twins.

They had a small birthday party earlier in the day to celebrate Rhiannon and Ianto's 15th birthday. His father was there, along with Peggy and her family, a couple of Rhiannon's friends from school, and Nick had even shown up for about an hour. Howard couldn't make it, naturally, but he sent several excessively elaborate gifts in his stead.

It had been a nice day, and for Phil, a very bittersweet day. He worked very hard to focus on making the twins' birthday special, and not dwelling on the past or the very near future.

The time had come for him to let his children go, at least a bit. They were both already finished with secondary school and it was time for them to learn of their heritage and what it means to be a Time Lord.

So here he was, standing in the doorway to the back garden, waving at his children as they left in the TARDIS with their grandfather. He knew that they would be safe, he trusted his father to make sure of that; but already he felt the empty walls of their home pressing in on him.

He knew that they wouldn't stay away too long, by his father's standards. That's what worried him; but Phil was fairly certain that Ianto would make sure that they came home to visit often.

Phil watched as the TARDIS disappeared, the last things his saw were the manic grins on his father and daughter's faces, and the glistening eyes of his son. He adored both of his children and loved them both equally as the brilliant individuals that they were; but Ianto and he had always shared a closer bond.

Ianto was so much like him that it was somewhat disconcerting, at times it was like looking at a miniaturized version of himself. His manner, carriage, humor, everything was just like Phil; but there was the part of Ianto that was all Steve, and Phil reveled in it. Ianto had the biggest heart of anyone Phil had known since his father; he was extremely attentive, and tried to take care of everyone. He didn't love or trust easily, but when he did, he did so completely.

Rhiannon continued to resemble her father greatly, not just in looks, but also in her sense of adventure and justice. Phil had lost track of the times he had been called to the twins' school because Rhi had been involved in yet another fight defending some other child. She was much more outgoing than both of her parents and her brother, and seemed sometimes to forget that she wasn't quite the same as everyone else.

That was part of the reason for this trip. Due to their unique genetics, his children had aged physically like a normal human child up to this point, but the latest readings from the TARDIS showed that this would be slowing dramatically. They needed time away to learn and to grow under the watchful eye of their beloved Tad-cu.

Phil stood in the doorway for several minutes after the TARDIS disappeared, just thinking back over the past 15 years, and missing Steve so much that his chest ached. He sighed and turned back into the house.

Looking around the now too quiet home, Phil set to finish cleaning up after the party. He wouldn't be spending much time here, not while the children were gone; it just wasn't home without them here.

He realized with a start, almost dropping the garbage bag, that this was the first time that he had really been alone since losing Steve. He choked back the tears that threatened to fall and focused on the task at hand.

Tomorrow he would throw himself into his work, Nick would be happy; it would take a lot of work from them both if they were ever going to get S.H.I.E.L.D. up and running. Right now though, Phil needed a drink.

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A/N - Hey everyone, sorry for the wait. It's getting closer towards the end of the semester, so things are getting crazy! I so appreciate all of you who have reviewed, favorited, and followed "Sons of Time." I hope you enjoyed this chapter, we're still building the backstory. There will be a few more chapters of this before we zoom in on the relationships. Please review and let me know what you think!


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter 4 – Without You**

**35 Years Later - 18 April 1985**

**S.H.I.E.L.D.'s North American Headquarters - New York City**

Phil was enjoying a rare quiet moment in the sanctuary of his office. He didn't have many opportunities to enjoy the comfortable space; he was constantly either in the field, training agents, or continuing the search for Steve.

40 years. It would be 40 years tomorrow since Steve's plane went down in the North Atlantic. The separation weighed heavily on him; there were only two things that were sustaining him at this point, his children, and the knowledge that Steve was alive out there somewhere.

Phil knew he was still alive, he could sense him out there, beyond his reach. Even if he hadn't been able to still sense Steve he would have continued to believe that he was still alive, simply because he was still alive too.

Phil expected to die not long after his children were born. He knew that Time Lord soul-bonds linked the life-forces of the bond mates together; one would not survive for long after the death of their mate. But Phil hadn't died; he had lived, lived for Rhi and Ianto, and for Steve.

The year that his children had traveled with his father had been especially difficult for Phil. He didn't deal with their absence well at all; they had ended up visiting about twice a month, and made sure to come home for important celebrations.

For Ianto, Rhiannon, and his father, it had been a trip of just over 5 years. Phil was glad that they had gone; both of them learned so much from his father about the ways and responsibilities of the Time Lords.

Phil prayed that neither of his children would be called upon to take up that mantle any time soon. Certainly he wanted his father around for as long as possible, but he also wished to shield his children from the burden of being part Gallifreyan. No matter how much his father tried to present it all as a gigantic life-long adventure, Phil knew just how dangerous and, many times, lonely it could be.

Thankfully that was a worry for another day; unfortunately, there were plenty more to take its place. His children were part of S.H.I.E.L.D. now; both were top notch field agents and enjoying the change of scenery New York provided when they were not in the field. They made the move a little over two years ago, finally caving in to pressure from Nick to, "Get the F*** out of F***ing Wales, it's too F***ing wet!"

This of course led to a myriad of bad hair day jokes from Rhiannon that led to a pissy Nick Fury, which inevitably led to Phil being sent on a solo reconnaissance mission to Siberia. It was unavoidable really; he couldn't be blamed for laughing!

A short time later, here they were, all working to help eliminate the threats that other agencies were unequipped to handle. Also, being one of the founders (secretly of course) of S.H.I.E.L.D. did have other advantages, especially where protecting his family from a certain British agency that's primary objective was to capture his father was concerned.

Yes, it was very helpful to be tied to S.H.I.E.L.D whenever Torchwood had come sniffing a little too close to home.

Life was good for the moment; well as good as it could be when your mate is trapped in some freezing clime. A knock sounded at the door, drawing Phil from his reverie.

"Enter."

The door opened to reveal Ianto on the other side, holding two coffees in one hand, and smiling tentatively at his father.

"Hello. Are you busy?" Ianto asked.

"Not at the moment, come in, shut the door."

Ianto shut the office door and made his way over to Phil's desk. He handed him one of the coffees before he sat in the plush chair in front of Phil's desk. He took in the space, noting the small touches that marked it as his father's: a small picture of himself and Rhiannon on their 7th birthday, the identical pens in a cup, all orderly leaning in the same direction, and the framed original Captain America comic book that hung on the wall. It was subtle, but said so much about the man.

Phil sat watching his son as he took in the surroundings. He brought the coffee cup up to his mouth and breathed in the aroma of the rich, dark blend. No one made coffee quite like his Ianto.

Phil took a large swallow of the coffee, only to cough at the unexpected sharp bite of alcohol.

He raised a brow at his son, "Warn a man won't you!"

Ianto grinned, "I thought you could use a little extra something in your coffee today."

Ianto's teasing expression sobered.

"40 years tomorrow."

Phil nodded, not trusting his voice at the moment.

Ianto looked down nervously, fidgeting, which was very out of character, Ianto never fidgeted. He looked up at his father with sad eyes.

"Papa, I know how hard this is on you. I know how much you miss him. We miss him too. I know it's not the same for us, but Rhi and I are worried about you. Daddy wouldn't want this; he wouldn't want you wearing yourself down like this trying to find him."

"Yanny I-"

"Wait Papa, please." Phil nodded, allowing Ianto to continue.

"We all see it Papa, Rhi, Nick, and me. Aunt Peggy calls at least once a week to make sure you haven't worked yourself to death. Now, I'm not saying that we should give up, I would never suggest that." Ianto hurried to say when he saw the defiant look on his father's face.

"All I'm saying is that you need to take a step back. There's a whole team of people looking for him every hour of every day. It's not healthy for you to run yourself into the ground like this; and I know it's a bit selfish but, we miss you."

Phil's gaze softened; he could never resist those eyes, Steve's eyes. He took a breath and sighed deeply.

"Yanny, I'll try, but I can't just hand the search over to someone else completely, there's too much at stake."

Phil looked at his son warmly before standing from his chair and making his way around the oak desk. He crouched down and took his son's hands.

"Sweetheart, you don't understand yet, not fully." He held up his hand to stop Ianto's reply. "I know that you miss him too and that you sympathize, I'm not saying that you don't. This is something that you are incapable of fully understanding just yet. It's not your fault bachen, but when you meet the one or the ones that are destined to be your mates you'll understand the desperate need to keep them safe and happy."

Phil reached up and held his hand to Ianto's cheek. "I'll try to manage my time better, and to spend more time with you and your sister when we have the chance. I can't stop looking for him though Yanny, that would truly kill me."

Ianto closed his eyes against the tears that had pooled there and leaned his head forward to rest his forehead against his father's. They remained there like that for several silent moments, each with tears trailing down their faces.

"All right Papa." Ianto said softly.

Phil stood, placing a kiss on Ianto's head. Ianto stood up as well and hugged his father.

"You're a beautiful boy Ianto Steven, just like your Daddy. He would be so proud of you."

Ianto squeezed his eyes shut tightly, attempting to stem the flow of any further tears. This conversation hadn't gone exactly as he had planned.

"I am who you helped me to become Papa, he'd be proud of you too."

They both pulled back from their embrace.

"Thank you Yanny."

Phil smiled at his son before they both resumed their seats. They talked a while longer before Ianto had to leave for a training session with some new recruits.

It was only after he had left his father's office and was changing into appropriate training attire, that he recalled that his father had referred to his mates; it was a possibility he had never considered before. The more he thought about it, the more it felt right. Maybe he had more than one mate. Like so many times before he let his mind wonder what they would be like. Were they even alive now, or would he have to wait ages like his Tad-cu to find his intended mates?

**03 June 1985**

**Carson Carnival of Traveling Wonders - Steubenville, OH**

Fourteen year old Clint Barton was bored. He had finished all of his work for the day and spent over 3 hours practicing with the Swordsman. Clint knew that he should be enjoying this rare moment of quiet in the chaos that was the circus, but he was all alone, and couldn't seem to find much enjoyment in that.

Barney had taken off with Trickshot again, he never knew where they went, but they seemed to slip away a lot recently. Clint kicked a rock with the toe of his shoe, trying to decide if he should go visit the animals or hide himself away in his cot and read while Barney wasn't around to tease him about it.

Some of the people in the circus knew how much Clint loved to read, and so they brought him books when they could. He so wished that he could go back to school; he didn't miss the way other children had always teased him for his worn clothes or orphaned status, but he did miss learning so many new things.

He sighed, no use wishing for things he couldn't have. Clint had almost made up his mind to return to his bunk when a shadow fell over him. He looked up and saw the blinding smile of the incredibly attractive performer who had joined their troupe a month back as "The Indestructible Man." Trying very hard, and failing, not to blush, Clint gave the man a tight smile.

"Hi there!" The man greeted him. "I'm Jim, Jim Hammond; I don't think we've actually met yet."

Clint hesitantly shook that man's hand. "Clint Barton."

"Nice to meet you Clint. I have to say, you're a pretty amazing shot with a bow. How long have you been using one?"

"A-about a year." He replied cautiously. He wasn't sure why the man was talking to him, or what he might want.

"Really?" The man said with evident surprise. "Only a year, that's impressive. It took me much longer to become indestructible."

The man gave him a wide, teasing smile, which Clint couldn't help but return.

"So what has you out here all by yourself on this gorgeous summer day?"

"Nothing much."

"Do you mind if I join you?"

Clint just shrugged. The man made him nervous, not in a bad way, he wasn't afraid of him or anything. He just made him feel all jittery inside; his palms felt sweaty and he couldn't seem to stop fidgeting.

Jim took a seat next to Clint on an overturned spool of cable. There was just something about this boy that pulled at his heart. He didn't know exactly what it was; sure he felt bad for the kid, orphaned, with only that troublemaker, Barney left of his family. He just seemed to be very special, and for some reason that Jim couldn't explain, he knew that he was very important as well.

They sat together quietly for a while before Jim began to talk, initially he just regaled Clint with stories of other circus troupes, which the young man heard with amusement. Slowly Jim began to ask Clint questions about himself, where he was from, what happened to his parents, what he liked to do for fun, anything and everything he could think of, he asked.

Though rather reticent at first, Clint slowly began to open up under the attention of the handsome Jim Hammond. Before he realized it, he was telling him all about the books he liked to read and which ones were his favorites. That afternoon Clint developed his very first crush.

What followed were weeks of Jim bringing Clint one book after another; Clint had protested at first, he knew there was no way he could afford to pay Jim back for all of the books he gave him. The older man just brushed it off, claiming that they were gifts, and Clint didn't have to pay him back. It was some time before Clint allowed himself to fully enjoy the delights of The Hobbit, Huck Finn, The Outsiders, Captains Courageous, Hatchet, and most of all, That Was Then, This Is Now.

The later really got under Clint's skin; he felt a kinship to Byron, wanting to make something of his life. What really bothered him though, was that he could see Barney as Mark, and that scared him.

Before they knew it, Jim was packing his bags, he got a letter from someone he knew in a troupe oversees and was going to join them. Part of Clint wanted to beg Jim to take him along; with Jim around, Clint had felt safe for the first time in his life and he was terrified of him leaving.

He didn't say a word though; he just walked with Jim to the bus station and waited with him for his ride to get there. They sat side by side on a bench for some time, neither one quite sure how to say goodbye.

Jim knew he was running out of time, so he said, "Listen Clint, I know it's not my place, but I want you to be careful."

Clint frowned at the man in confusion.

"It's about your brother, I'm pretty sure that he's gotten messed up in some things he shouldn't. Just, be careful alright. Don't let yourself get pulled into all of that, you're better than that Clint. Promise me something will you?" Jim asked him earnestly as he turned sideways to meet Clint's gaze.

"Get out of that place. I know you think you don't have any options, but you do. You're a smart kid, don't roll your eyes, you are. You can take a test to get your diploma, I'm sure if you study a bit you'll be able to pass it easily. Do it and get as far away from here as you can. Go to college, join the military, hell, become a fisherman, just leave. Get out before they destroy you."

Clint looked at Jim for what felt like a very long moment.

Jim couldn't explain why this was so important to him, why he felt ready to beg the boy to run; it just felt right.

Finally Clint nodded, "Alright Jim, I'll try."

Knowing it was the best he could hope for, Jim rose from the bench once he saw the bus come into view.

"Well, I guess this is it then." Jim said with a forced smile. "Take care of yourself alright, and remember what I said."

"I will," Clint replied. "Jim, I- I just want to say thanks, for the books, and- and everything. You've been a great friend."

Clint said shyly.

Jim smiled at the boy and reached out to hug him. At first Clint went rigid, not used to any type of physical affection, but slowly he relaxed and hugged Jim tightly.

The time came all too soon for Jim to leave and as he took his seat on the bus he looked out the window and gave Clint one last smile. He watched Clint until the bus station faded from view.

Captain Jack Harkness had to return to Torchwood and report no findings of unusual activity within the troupe; but at that moment he wanted nothing more than to be free, free to be Jim Hammond, and free to save Clint from what he knew to be a terrible situation.

Jack rubbed his chest. His heart literally ached within him, and he struggled to choke back the tears as he knew that he would never see Clint Barton again.

* * *

**A/N - Sorry for the long delay, this semester is killer! I've been snowed/iced in for four days now, so I've had a bit of time to write. Thank you to all of you who have followed, favorited, and reviewed Sons of Time. I also have another fic in progress called Never-Ending that is a Jack/Ianto/OFC fic, if you're interested. Please drop me a note and let me know what you think of the chapter. Thanks for reading!**


	5. Chapter 5

**Chapter 5**

**12 November 1994**

**Marine Corps Air Ground Combat Center Twenty-nine Palms**

**Headquarters of the 3rd Battalion 7th Marine Regiment**

Sergeant Clint Barton was on his way to the showers after an eight mile run. He had taken it easy today for a change. He was due to report for duty at 0700, so he still had plenty of time to get ready.

He made his way past headquarters on his way to the barracks only to be stopped when his NCO called out to him.

"Barton!"

"Good Morning Sergeant Major Broadlough, sir." Clint said, changing direction to stand before the man.

"Good Morning Sergeant. That was an impressive performance on last week's PFT." The barrel-chested man commented with a serious expression.

"Thank you sir."

"Let's walk," Clint nodded in reply and turned with the Sergeant Major toward the barracks. "I've had my eye on you for some time Barton. You performed well during the last deployment; I doubt the Iraqis were sad to see the ass end of you."

Clint maintained a blank expression until the Sergeant Major grinned at him. Broadlough was a great Marine, and an excellent leader. He was well respected by his men, and took a great interest in their welfare.

He grinned back at the taller man, "Thank you sir, I'd hate for the opposite to be true."

Broadlough chuckled.

"No worries there son. I understand that you've decided to try for Recon, is that right?"

"Yes sir. That's the ultimate goal sir." Clint said.

They came to a stop outside the barracks doorway and turned to face one another.

"As you know, Recon appointments have to be approved by the battalion command."

"Yes sir." Clint replied, trying very hard not to let his nerves be heard.

"Report to the LTC's office at 0830 Barton."

"Really sir?" Clint said, hardly able to believe that he might have the opportunity to become one of the best snipers in the world.

Broadlough smiled at the younger man's eagerness. He may be a leatherneck through and through, but he had a soft spot for this kid; he always felt that he was special somehow. He was a hell of a shot, and could give the logisticians at the Pentagon a run for their money. And he reminded him at times of his son Robert, who he lost in '83 in Beirut.

"Really Barton. Now get in there and get yourself squared away on the double."

"Yes sir!" Clint said eagerly, shaking his superior's hand when it was offered.

"Make me proud Barton."

"Yes sir, Sergeant Major." Clint gave the man who had done so much for him another grateful nod before heading into the barracks to get ready for his next deployment, Scout Sniper School.

In the shower he thought back over the past several years. He had taken his GED at 17, and he joined the Marines on his 18th birthday. That was almost five years ago, he was almost one year into his second enlistment, and he loved it. War was horrible of course, he saw and experienced things he wished he never had, but he knew that what he did helped to keep others safe.

Okinawa, Korea, Saudi Arabia, and Kuwait, each location had changed him, and made him grow up little by little. He thought that he had seen the worst of society living with the circus, but he had never been more wrong. People were cruel, and people were violent, and that's why there would always be a need for intervention.

He had first started to dream of becoming a Recon Marine shortly after his 16th birthday. He saw a recruitment ad in a town somewhere in the mid-west where the circus performed for a week or so. Barney had laughed at him, reminding him that he had no real schooling and that the Marines would never take someone like him.

Clint had been thoroughly dejected for some time, depressed and increasingly concerned with his brother's activities. One day though, after getting the crap kicked out of him by Trickshot and Barney for refusing to take part in some theft or another, he remembered the words he heard a few years back. He remembered Jim telling him that he was better than all of that, and that he had to get out.

"_You can take a test to get your diploma . . . Go to college, join the military, hell, become a fisherman, just leave. Get out before they destroy you."_

He remembered those words and he decided that very day that he would do exactly what Jim said. He was going to take that test, and he was getting out of there. He wanted a life away from the circus, and though he hated to admit it, away from Barney.

"I did it Jim." Clint said aloud quietly. "I did it, you said I could, and I did it."

Clint stuck his head under the spray, hiding the tears that fell down his face. This was the next step for him, he didn't know where this would take him, but he had a feeling that it was the right direction.

* * *

**01 January 2005, 12:01 a.m.**

**S.H.I.E.L.D. Helicarrier - Location Classified**

Ianto fielded yet another embrace from a coworker. He had already been captured five times and the year had just begun; he hoped that this wasn't an omen.

It was great to be back among the familiar faces of S.H.I.E.L.D. Ianto had been on a deep cover assignment for the last two and a half years in Argentina. He had been cut off from any communication with his family and it had been almost unbearable.

He wasn't quite sure what to make of Rhiannon; something was definitely wrong, but he hadn't been home long enough to find out exactly what it was. His father worried him; Phil Coulson was a master of hiding in plain sight, but Ianto could see, he could always see.

This year would mark sixty years since his father disappeared into the North Atlantic without a trace. Not a day had passed that Phil had not done something to search for him. Ianto could see the toll that the long years of separation were having on his Papa, and he thought that maybe he was beginning to understand the bond his parents shared.

The worst part of it all is that he would be leaving again soon for another long-term assignment. He had thought that Nick might give him more of a break; he hadn't actually been back to headquarters for more than a month over the past seven years. Nick said that this assignment couldn't wait though, that it was absolutely vital that Ianto infiltrate this organization that called itself Torchwood.

Ianto sighed. Now he just had to break the news to his family that he would once again be leaving them for an extended period of time.

* * *

**Cardiff, Wales, UK**

Captain Jack Harkness stood atop his favorite building in Cardiff watching the sun rise upon a new year. He couldn't shake the feeling that something big would happen this year, and wondered if maybe this was the year that the Doctor would return.

Jack thought back over his too long life, his childhood in Boeshane, the Time Agency, his all-too short time aboard the TARDIS with the Doctor and Rose. Then there were the years after Satellite 5; he remembered when he first discovered that he couldn't stay dead, how absolutely terrified he had been.

Then Torchwood had found him; he quickly moved past most of those years, there was too much darkness to dwell on there. Jack recalled that fateful night five years ago when Alex had killed the team and then himself.

Once again Jack had been left alone, surrounded by the dead. He had been trying so hard since then, so hard to make his Torchwood something that the Doctor would be proud of once he returned. First he found Suzie, then Tosh, and then Owen. He was so proud of each of them; they were all broken in some way, but he hoped that maybe that brokenness would help them to better do what they were called upon to do.

Jack sighed. He had to go to London tomorrow; that viper, Yvonne Hartman, had finally slithered her way into the Director's chair of Torchwood 1. Although Jack had largely cut his branch off from London, the Queen had requested his presence. He could only hope that her tenure wouldn't turn out to be the disaster that he feared it would.

* * *

**Jammu City, Jammu**

Agent Clint Barton shifted his weight slightly atop the roof of the building across from the Hotel 17 Miles in Jammu City, trying to keep the blood circulating to his extremities. He would much rather have been at the New Year's celebrations back home, but duty called.

Clint watched his target passively, wishing that he didn't have to be privy to the man's depravities. He hoped that the order would come through soon so that he and Sitwell could head home tonight; he was sick of this sleezebag and ready to do his job.

He had been with S.H.I.E.L.D. for almost six years now, having been recruited by them during his third enlistment with the Marine Corps. Clint had thrived in Recon, he loved every minute of it, but the day Phil Coulson showed up he just knew that S.H.I.E.L.D. was where he needed to be.

Of course he never told anyone that; he couldn't very well tell his CO that he was leaving because his heart was telling him that it was the right decision. Yeah, that would have gone over real well.

S.H.I.E.L.D. had been a challenge, not so much the training, Recon had prepared him for most of that; but the bureaucracy was something else.

He loved what he did though. Clint didn't relish killing people, but he knew that those that he did kill had done truly terrible things, and it was his job to stop them. He just wished that they wouldn't do it during winter, in the freaking Himalayans!

"Hawkeye, have you confirmed the target?" Jasper's voice asked through the commlink.

"Target confirmed."

"Take the shot."

Clint breathed in, held it, and squeezed. Across the street a glass window shattered, a man fell to the floor, clearly dead; the young women with him screamed and huddled together in a corner of the room as the man's security detail swarmed the room. They returned fire in the direction that they assumed the shots had come from, but Clint was already climbing into a vehicle in a nearby alleyway.

"Good shot Barton." Agent Sitwell said from the driver's seat. "Let's get the hell out of here; it's New Year's and I'm not getting to kiss my wife. Before you say it, no, I'm not kissing you instead."

Clint smirked in the darkness, "Jazzy, you wound me you big lug! It's a long flight home; you should be nicer to me, you might change your mind."

Jasper rolled his eyes and fought back a grin. He hadn't been able to stand Barton when he first joined up almost six years ago. He was willing to admit that a great deal of his animosity was really just wounded pride. Clint was brilliant, everyone knew it; but he didn't take orders well from untried handlers. If he didn't know you, and know that you knew your head from your ass, you could forget about him listening to a word you said.

That caution had given him a reputation as a difficult and insubordinate asset pretty early on in his tenure. Jasper got it now; Clint wasn't purposefully difficult, well, most of the time. It all came down to trust with him. If he didn't trust you, he damn well wasn't putting his life and the lives of others into your hands without question.

It had taken them a few years to get to the point where they could work together, but it had been worth it. He was still Coulson's asset, but they were now able to go out on missions together without incident.

Clint leaned his head back on the seat and closed his eyes after he and Agent Sitwell made it back to the Quinjet and stowed their gear. He hoped that he would have a bit of downtime before his next assignment. Normally he went out with Coulson and Tasha, but Fury had been sending him out on more solo missions lately. Hopefully the bad guys of the world would decide to take a little vacation for a week or two.

He allowed himself to relax after he had reevaluated the mission mentally once again. Pushing it from his mind he settled in to grab a few hours of sleep before they landed. Clint couldn't explain it, but he could feel something coming, something big. He just hoped that whatever it was would be something good for a change.

* * *

A/N - Happy New Year! I hope you all have a safe and prosperous year!

What did you think of the chapter? This is the final chapter laying the groundwork for the action ahead. I already have a few ideas, but is there anyone in the Avengers/Torchwood/Doctor Who universes that you would like to see Rhiannon with in the end? I'd love to hear from you!


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